Rodeo Therapeutics nominates Candidate RTX-1688, a first-in-class oral small molecule therapy for tissue regeneration and repair, with inflammatory bowel disease as the initial indication and platform potential in other disease settings
SEATTLE, WA – August 31, 2020 – Rodeo Therapeutics Corporation, a company developing small-molecule therapies designed to promote regeneration and repair of multiple tissue types, announced today that it has selected development candidate, RTX-1688, for its inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) program. RTX-1688 is a first-in-class, orally available, small molecule inhibitor of 15- prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) that has proven to be highly efficacious and safe in extensive preclinical studies. With the nomination of RTX-1688 as the development candidate, Rodeo Therapeutics is well-positioned for IND-enabling studies, clinical planning, and partnering activities.
“We are delighted to announce that Rodeo Therapeutics has achieved our preclinical target product profile of a first-in-class oral therapy and nominated RTX-1688 as our development candidate. With a differentiated mechanism of action and favorable drug characteristics, RTX-1688 can potentially offer an attractive treatment option for patients. We look forward to advancing RTX-1688 into the clinic and exploring partnering options.” said Kendall Mohler, Ph.D., chief development officer of Rodeo Therapeutics.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a substantial unmet medical need, with anti-inflammatory and other immune-modulating therapies dominating the current treatment landscape. RTX-1688 has demonstrated marked monotherapy efficacy in injury-induced IBD model and favorable in vitro and in vivo characteristics. With its unique and orthogonal mechanism of barrier repair, we believe RTX- 1688 warrants clinical exploration as a single-agent and in combination with existing anti-inflammatory therapies.
“RTX-1688 represents a new and exciting treatment strategy for IBD. This novel approach has the potential to enhance intestinal mucosal healing and repair which is essential in maintaining remission.” said Tadataka Yamada, MD, board member of Rodeo Therapeutics.
Given the unique mechanism and substantial efficacy observed in numerous preclinical models across different indications, we believe Rodeo Therapeutics compounds can provide benefits in additional disease settings where tissue repair is crucial.
About Rodeo Therapeutics
Rodeo Therapeutics is focused on developing small-molecule therapies that increase tissue levels of prostaglandin PGE2. Preclinical studies have shown that increasing PGE2 through inhibition of a prostaglandin-degrading enzyme (15-PGDH) protects against colitis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), accelerates hematopoietic stem cell reconstitution following bone marrow transplant, and promotes liver regeneration in a variety of animal models. The company focuses on developing 15-PGDH inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease as its initial development program. Rodeo Therapeutics was formed in 2017 as a portfolio company under Accelerator Life Science Partners. For more information, please visit: www.rodeotherapeutics.com